Chihuahua Mexican Grill and Margarita Bar can boast of not just having the largest burrito in town, but also the most potently scandalous margaritas that will render you dancing salsa on the tables. Their inauguration party on July 14, 2011 was one for the books with US Ambassador Harry Thomas, Mexican Ambassador Dr. Tomas Calvillo Unna, and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay Jr. as special guests for the ribbon cutting. Join us for the much anticipated Tex-Mex fiesta of the Year!

From planning to execution, Ines Cabarrus and Elian Habayeb have launched their dream with style and youthful vibrance making their slice of Makati Avenue real estate come alive.

The bold red Chihuahua exterior shouts out to you, but as you enter you are caught up in its simple and modern interiors and ultimately drawn in by the upbeat latino music and aromatics of cilantro and cumin. On the walls Elian has been constantly been updating the place with snapshots of their clients.

It was a full capacity crowd at Chihuahua and people were lined up to sample the soft tacos, burritos, burrito bowl, and salads with a choice of meats. Others were focused more on the bar which was dishing out their signature frozen margaritas a.k.a. Chihuarita like a conveyor belt and the occasional Michelada for those courageous enough to try something new! The Chihuarita is made with 100% Jose Cuervo and pure lime juice, make sure to bring a driver once you get started as they are addictive and can send you to the moon.

9:00PM The Ribbon Cutting. This was when all hell broke loose as salsa became not just a word but a sweaty reality with the US Ambassador Harry Thomas tearing up the make shift dance floor.

The Chihuahua Team

To give you some backgound about the owners – Elian Habayeb was born and raised in Houston and has lived in Mexico while working for CEMEX the cement giant, while Ines Cabarrus graduated from Holy Cross College outside of Boston and taught English as a Second Language (ESL) to Mexican and Latin American immigrants in Chicago and immersed herself in the culture and cuisine as part of a Jesuit volunteer program. Ines is currently the GM for the award-winning Japanese restaurant Sugi at Greenbelt 2, and was a faculty member of Enderun Colleges teaching the Wine & Beverage Management and Service.

Why Chihuahua? As taken from their press release, the Mexican expression “Ay Chihuahua!” has several meanings like “that’s great!” and “this chili pepper’s really spicy!”. Chihuahua also happens to be the Mexican state bordering Texas, where El Paso and Juarez are situated. Most importantly there is “Chuy” (pronounced ‘Choo-ee’) the Chihuahua – a shifty-looking dog with a sombrero and a long Mexican moustache that serves as the restaurant’s mascot.

Be sure to make your Monday’s happier with their Buy 1 Take 1 Margarita Madness promotion from 6PM until 3AM and on Saturdays they have the Salsa Project offering free 30 minute salsa lessons.

Chihuahua Mexican Grill & Margarita Bar
on Makati Ave, across from A-Venue
Tel: 0916-3737-308
Website: chihuahuamexgrill.com

In Operation:
Weekdays 11am to 3am
Weekends 11am to 5am

If you would like a rundown of the food served at Chihuahua, check out the private tasting they had, please click here!

In our next post we attend the launch of Shiro Shiro Japanese Restaurant at the Boulevard Mansion Hotel. Please click here!


Shiro Shiro Assorted Kushiage

Remember life is way too short, don’t let it pass you by. Enjoy Hour Philippines!

Sincerely,

Lord and Aksana
HOURPHILIPPINES.COM
FOOD | TRAVEL | LIFESTYLE
All content is the sole property of HourPhilippines.com, any reproduction in whole or in part shall be subject to prosecution.

Chihuahua Mexican Grill and Margarita Bar is the newest Tex Mex restaurant to hit Manila and is the long anticipated brainchild of our friends Elian Habayeb and Ines Cabarrus. They offer a simple menu of burritos, tacos, nachos and chili as well as a few essential mixes – Margaritas and Micheladas! As a Texan, Elian spotted an opportunity to raise the bar of Tex Mex authenticity in the Philippines. Join us for happy hour and great food at Chihuahua! BOWOW!

It would be hard miss the bright red and white Chihuhua exterior along Makati Ave. and if you are still lost it is literally right next door to the new dance club Time across from the A-Venue complex.

The Texan – Elian Habayeb

Before we even had a chance to check out what was cooking, Elian was kind enough to entertain us thirsty travellers with his signature Margarita infused with Jose Cuervo Gold. It was a refreshingly powerful frozen margarita that after a hard days work we simply couldn’t help wiping the grin off our faces. It was only 7:00PM and other guests were already streaming in for happy hour.

Ines Cabarrus was a gracious host giving us a background of the interiors, logo and the marketing conceptualized by Markus Jentes of PTFJ Ad Consult.

The 4 Step Menu is a No-brainer. We were looking forward to the Nacho Grande, Pulled Pork Burrito and the Tacos.

Nacho Grande

The Nacho Grande was a fantastic appetizer, especially after a few Margaritas. The freshly made guacamole, chili con carne, refried beans, pico de gallo and jalapeño all on a bed of crispy corn tortilla is something that we will definitely be returning for!

Burritos are hand made at the order counter by the newly trained staff under the guidance of Chihuahua Manager Miguel Villanueva.

The Wall of Flame

As the concept is like a Mexican Cantina, after receiving your dish from the counter and placing it on your tray, you can then proceed to the Wall of Flame which has an enviable collection of hot sauces most of which are not available in Manila.

Our favorite hot sauce by design, unfortunately bottles will only be made available upon the grand launch this May 2011.

The Filling Station

Next an unlimited selection of jalapeño peppers, limes, pico de gallo, habanero salsa, tomatillo salsa, and chipotle salsa.

Pork Burrito

We had the pork burrito as it is their specialty and it did not disappoint, the pulled pork was extremely tender.

Tacos

The beef in the steak tacos however were a bit tough. But rest assured, this will be improved upon as this was just their initial tasting after all! Thanks to Elian and Ines for the invitation and we wish them continued success!

The soft opening will be on May 27, 2011. If you are not busy on Saturdays Elian and Ines also host Music and Wine at Martinis, Mandarin Oriental Hotel. ¡Arriba!

Chihuahua Mexican Grill and Margarita Bar
7838 Makati Avenue across from A-Venue
1209 Makati
Philippines
Website: www.chihuahuamexgrill.com

The Grand Opening of Chihuahua will be on July 14, 2011 at 7:00PM and will be attended by U.S. Ambassador Harry K. Thomas Jr., Mexican Ambassador Dr. Tomas Javier Calvillo Unna, and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay Jr.. Please click here for our coverage!

Check out the first Triple Back Flip in BMX History here!

On our next post we have a Spa and Country retreat at The Farm, San Benito! Please click here!

Remember life is way too short, don’t let it pass you by. Enjoy Hour Philippines!

Sincerely,

Lord and Aksana
HOURPHILIPPINES.COM
FOOD | TRAVEL | LIFESTYLE
All content is the sole property of HourPhilippines.com, any reproduction in whole or in part shall be subject to prosecution.

When was the last time you went to Taco Bell? Offering Americanized Mexican food from tacos, quesadillas, and burritos to Mexican pizzas, it is a tasty and fulfilling fast food extravaganza. Glen Bell opened the first store in California in 1962 has sold out his shares to Pepsico who are the owners of Yum Brands which manage the successful KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Long John Silver brands.

Now it has finally come to the Philippines under the ownership and operation of Philippine Pizza, Inc. the same operators of Pizza Hut, owned by the Araneta family.

The first branch was opened at the Gateway Mall in October 2004 and now has another branch in Trinoma, hopefully soon to open a branch in Makati.

Crunchy Taco – PHP 39.00 ($USD 0.90)

If 35 million clients are served each week most of whom are on the west coast, they must be making a decent mass produced Taco! In the Philippines it costs close to $USD 1.00, but in the U.S. it is only $USD 0.50. In any case it tastes exactly the same, crunchy and could probably eat 10 of them without getting full as they are quite small.

This is definitely one of our favorite dishes here. It tastes exactly like in the U.S. a far cry from the Burger King in Manila. You could probably eat around 10 of these and walk out happy. But Taco Bell does have some other sinful morsels of food.

1/4 Pound Beef Combo Burrito – PHP 39.00 ($USD 0.90)

Cheese Quesadilla – PHP 39.00 ($USD 0.90)

Mexican Pizza – PHP 89.00 ($USD 2.00)

This version of a pizza is so crunchy and flavorful!

Nacho Cheese Chalupa – 49.00 ($USD 1.25)

Similar to a taco but with a flat bread wrap and more beef, Aksana prefers this to the crunchy taco!

Taco Bell

Trinoma Mall
2nd Floor Trinoma
Edsa Corner North Edsa
Quezon City

Gateway Mall
Lower Ground Floor Gateway Mall
Food Express, 3rd Level Gateway Mall
Quezon City

On our next post we bring you the launch of Olive Magazine at the Ayala Museum, Makati. Please click here.

Remember life is way too short, don’t let it pass you by. Enjoy Hour Philippines!

Sincerely,

Lord and Aksana
HOURPHILIPPINES.COM
FOOD | TRAVEL | LIFESTYLE
All content is the sole property of HourPhilippines.com, any reproduction in whole or in part shall be subject to prosecution.

Are you hungry yet? The Bully Boy Burger of Army Navy Burger + Burrito was conceived to feed a battalion or one hungry customer! Army Navy opened its first branch at Tagaytay on March 2009 and has conveniently now come to Makati in the spanking new Glorietta 5. We sampled a selection of their offerings from quesadillas to burritos and fries and were quite pleased with the outcome. It came as no surprise that this establishment is the brainchild of Yellow Cab who have an amazing Dear Darla Pizza.

What attracted us to this establishment initially was the eye catching colorful logo and branding. It was straight to the point and who in the world does not like burger and burritos? It intrigued us so we tried out what they had to offer.

Like Yellow Cab, the order counter was in front of their kitchen and was designed like an army bunker. Ambiance was modern and functional open design with all the piping, electrical, and lighting fixtures exposed.

Cheese Quesadilla - PHP 85.00 Net ($US 2.00)

As an appetizer we started off with the cheese quesadillas, the cheese was bland and it seemed like there was not enough cheese. While the tortilla itself was soft and gentle, most of the flavor came from the salsa. We would not order this again.

Chicken Burrito – PHP 135.00 Net ($US 3.00)

Aksana had the chicken burrito and she enjoyed this as the flavors of the spanish rice, tender chicken, beans, onions and cilantro all came together with the salsa. The slice of lime provided was so small that she only managed to squeeze a whopping three or four drops. They should provide larger slices of lime and a bigger serving salsa to fully enjoy this burrito. Did you know that burrito translated to english means a small donkey? The story is the person who invented this flour based taco sold it on the streets carried around by his donkey. While burritos are an excellent example of Mexican food outside of Mexico, they are only a common dish in northern Mexico.

Freedom Fries – PHP 60.00 Net ($US 1.50)

The shoe string fries were a crispy and tasty side dish. The paprika and herb seasoning made us gobble up these mini fries like there was no tomorrow. Perfect with mayo, or go thousand island if you like! Interesting though that the name Freedom Fries is also used at Handle Bar Makati where we normally watch the World Cup.

Bully Boy Burger – PHP 235.00 Net ($US 6.00)

The Bully Boy Burger is simply a triple quarter pounder housed within a toasted sesame seed kaiser bun. A total of 340 grams of ground beef definitely goes a long way to filling your belly. We were able to finish this off without a problem because the patties were juicy, tender and we believe the magic ingredient was Knor seasoning. The pattie itself though seemed to fall apart, possibly a result of less meat extenders such as crackers or bread crumbs which is a healthy sign. Each bite however results in the fatty jus of the meat dripping all over the place. A word of caution is be careful as it could get messy very fast.

How did you like the food at Army Navy? Was Yellow Cab’s pizza expertise translated well into burgers and burritos?

ARMY NAVY BURGER + BURRITO
2nd Floor
Glorietta 5
Tel: +(63)-917-571-2713

On our next post we publish a testimonial on Kalinka Home Cooked Delicacies From Russia With Love. Please click here!

Remember life is way too short, don’t let it pass you by. Enjoy Hour Philippines!

Sincerely,

Lord and Aksana
HOURPHILIPPINES.COM
FOOD | TRAVEL | LIFESTYLE
All content is the sole property of HourPhilippines.com, any reproduction in whole or in part shall be subject to prosecution.